Report 212
Report #212 Skillset: Runes Skill: DeathProphesy Org: Blacktalon Status: Rejected Jun 2009 Furies' Decision: Changing Death Prophesy is under consideration. Problem: This skill is impossible to pull off in almost every situation. In the situations where it is possible, it is over twice as fast to kill the target by simply pointing your cudgel three times. Currently, this ability takes 3 power to initially cast, then will show a rune, which you only have a short time to sling at your target. Successfully doing so will show the next rune. You repeat this process for a total of 5 times. After five times, you will have to sling the Othala rune, which costs 1 power itself. To succeed, the target must have all 5 afflictions before othala is thrown. Curing any affliction will make the prophesy fail, though it won't stop the rune showing process from happening. Simply put, you will not know it fails until the end of the prophesy. The problems with this skill are numerous. One problem is that it is affliction dependent and all solutions that remain in this same manner end up too weak or too strong. Another problem is that slinging one rune takes 3.5 seconds, and 3 seconds at fastest on faeling balance (not to mention that faelings are not viable runic Hartstone or mage races). Solution #1: Change Death Prophesy into a state-based instant kill that requires the target to be at 50% mana or less plus must have at least two runic afflictions. Since runes is heavily power based along with phantasms and druidry (the main complimentary skillsets) this ability will cost 3-5 power to use, preferably 3. Make it so that casting Death Prophesy and failing (i.e. the target doesn't fulfill the requirements) will not consume power, but still consumes balance. The reason for this is because runists have no way to determine how many runic afflictions the target has outside of a monocle and a skill should not require a 450 credit artifact to work. Solution #2: Make Death Prophesy a timed instant kill similar to either judgement or chasm. Player Comments: ---on 6/23 @ 12:17 writes: If changed, I like Solution 2. How about allowing fullplate users the ability to put coal runes on their armour to buff up their protection? ---on 6/24 @ 22:55 writes: I like solution 1 by the way ---on 6/25 @ 04:13 writes: I don't see anyone getting an instakill that costs 3 power, or how it'd be fair if it failed that'd it'd not take power. Instakills with higher power costs still lose power if they fail. While I agree that DeathProphesy needs some fix, I'm most certain solution 1 isn't the way to go. I'd support solution 2, though I'm still not sure if that's the fix it needs. ---on 6/25 @ 09:15 writes: That's because you only know your own skills. Take a look at wrack. It doesn't cost power to fail. I'm not even sure it costs equilibrium or balance. But it requires the additional condition of the target being prone. ---on 6/25 @ 14:57 writes: Not every skill set needs to have a viable insta kill option. I don't really it's imbalancing to have this one be so difficult to pull off. ---on 6/26 @ 00:17 writes: This isn't difficult to the point where it's still possible. It's flat out impossible, and a waste of a skill. It was created in a special envoy review of Runes. All prophesies were. As you can see, I am reviewing them myself because I was not part of their conception and I am making them actually usable instead of something to take up AB space. ---on 6/26 @ 21:39 writes: I don't think that an instakill which goes for as cheap as 3p a shot needs the qualification that if it fails, the powercost wouldn't be applied. I'd be more inclined to agree if the powercost was suggested to be higher, sure, but 3p is manageable. ---on 6/27 @ 15:11 writes: I had another idea. What if we made it like, you cast deathprophesy for 3p, and it lasts for a minute. If you sling othala within that minute (which costs 1p, right?) while they're below 50% mana, it'll kill them. ---on 6/27 @ 15:14 writes: Alternatively, same as in my last comment, but you have to sling the 5 foreseen runes like now before othala can insta. Also, I'd raise the time limit to 1.5 - 2 minutes for that, and have no time limit between rune slings. ---on 6/27 @ 22:02 writes: I could be okay with a cast death prophesy will give a duration and then you kill them with othala if they are below 50% mana. I'm not sure about the 5 rune thing. Would it be curable? Or is it an inquisition type thing. Either way, I'd be against that ---on 6/27 @ 22:06 writes: I did write in the solution that the ability would cost 3-5 power. Then again, maybe I misread your comment and it only sounded like you are disagreeing with this solution in my head, Xiel. But it shouldn't cost any more than 5 power including the no power cost on failing because druids have no way to diagnose the opponent. ---on 6/28 @ 14:40 writes: By the 5 rune thing, I meant you have to go through those 5 runes, and then sling othala while they're below 50% mana. Would just add a little more time/difficulty. ---on 6/28 @ 14:40 writes: Oh, curing them wouldn't matter. ---on 6/29 @ 19:40 writes: I personally prefer solution 1 still. ---on 6/29 @ 19:42 writes: This is mostly because he 6 rune thing at a standard 3.5 second balance will take 21 second alone, on top of what you need to expend to start this as well as get 50% mana or below. ---on 6/29 @ 19:51 writes: Psh, well I personally prefer mine. Notice how the non-guardian/wiccan mana kills (swoop and eternalsleep so far) take significantly more effort than their guardian/wiccan counterparts. It should require some set up, especially considering the low power cost (which I understand is necessary for it to fit in with a mage or druid's other abilities). ---on 6/30 @ 03:05 writes: But I'm okay with a 5 power cost as I listed in the solution! That's on par with Wrack, no? Also, I do not feel 25% is significantly more effort, but that's probably because I've had too much fun with succumb and that double mana drain song. On another note, going eternalsleep actually helps secure a kill since it is attrition fighting whereas 5 random unmasked runes gives them a lot more time to catch up on cures.